Gaming Chair vs Office Chair – What’s the Difference?

Whether you’re working or playing, you need to have a chair that is both comfortable and practical so that you can make the most of your time.

The gaming chair and office chair debate is one that is hotly contested and argued because no one can seem to agree on which one works best. In this article, we aren’t going to try and determine it, but we will be taking you through the differences between them.

The Key Features Every Chair Should Have

Before we get started, we’re going to take a look at some of the main features that any chair should have – whether it is a gaming or office model.

After all, there are some bare minimums that need to be catered for as you will be sitting in it for a prolonged period of time:

Seat height adjustment

Seat depth adjustment (and also pan) to promote good circulation

Adjustable armrests

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Good backrest

Backward tilt for spinal disc relief

Lumbar support for the lower back

The Main Benefits of Each

There are also some benefits to each of the chairs being examined in this article. First, we are going to take a look at what office chairs have to offer:

Specially designed for those who work at their desks all day

Ergonomic design to reduce strain and boost productivity

Great design and appearance for an office setting

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Excellent accessories with many models that make life easier

Can fit nicely into any budget, but more expensive models come with more

Now, we can have a look at the things gaming chairs are able to provide you with:

Usually have fun designs that have been inspired by popular video games

Often have a lot of adjustable features, such as armrests

Usually incredibly comfortable and offer additional support for your back

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Good and sturdy structure for durability

Larger size, which is great for comfort, but does take up more space

Having looked at some of the benefits of both office and gaming chairs, we can now look further into each model, examining the differences between them so that you can make the right choice for you.

The Difference: Comfort

Whether you are working or playing, you need to be comfortable, and it is so important to find a chair that offers you this.

The gaming chair does tend to be the more comfortable of the two, often providing a padded cushion to sit on, lumbar support, and even a neck cushion to ensure that you don’t get sore or cramped while you play.

Even the back of the chair is made to be gentle on the spine at all times, so you can spend hours sitting in it without issue. The office chair does not usually come with these features unless you are willing to spend a good deal more than you would on a standard one.

While they are generally comfortable and offer good seating to prevent soreness while you work, most lack the padded back and support offered by a gaming chair.

Of course, it is also important to remember that comfort is down to personal preference, and we all have our own ideas of what is comfortable and what is no.

So, when you are trying to choose a chair, it might be worth seeing if you can try one out first to give you an idea of what it will be like to use.

The Difference: Design

Typically, the design of the gaming chair was based off the seats in race cars, meaning that they offer a high back and headrest to keep you comfy and offer that extra level of support.

Office chairs still have good designs, and they often look the part for a professional setting, but many of them do not have the high back and headrest that the gaming chair offers.

Gaming chairs tend to be larger than office chairs, providing more space for the padding and cushioning mentioned in the previous section. They also tend to be more adjustable in terms of things like armrests, making them easier to use and really settle down in.

However, you will find that officer chairs come with a number of adjustments themselves so that you can find the right setting. The ergonomic function of the chairs comes into this section as well, and it is a feature that cannot be ignored.

On both gaming and office chairs, the height of the chair should be fully adjustable, so that you can find the one that offers you the best level of comfort and support while working or playing.

Similarly, a breathable back is ideal for ventilation and preventing sweat from collecting. Fully adjustable armrests are most common in gaming chairs and the higher end office models, and these offer you extra flexibility while you are performing your chosen task.

A backrest that tilts back is also good for your spine, as well as giving you some added comfort when you want to spend a moment thinking and relaxing.

The Difference: Price

This is a really important aspect, because we all have our own budgets and price lines that we simply cannot cross.

Office chairs and gaming chairs both come at a range of different prices that start at very affordable and range all the way up to needing to save for a while to buy one. However, there is a big difference between the two.

You can pick up a really good quality gaming chair with all the trimmings for an affordable price, but with an office chair, you are likely to have to spend a lot more for the same levels of comfort and additional features.

This can be a little disappointing for many, and while you might be able to find the perfect budget office chair, it isn’t particularly likely.

To Conclude

We hope that this has been a helpful guide when determining what the difference between office and gaming chairs is.

While there are many ways in which they are similar, there are also a few areas that make them stand apart – such as the price, comfort, and overall design. With all of this information and advice, we are sure that you are going to make the perfect choice for you.

What did you think of our comparison though? We love hearing from you, so send us your thoughts in the comments.

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